The Tonys recognise excellence in the theatrical performances shown at the 41 professional theatres with 500 or more seats in New York City’s famous Broadway district.

The official name for the gong is the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre. It gets its name from actress, director, producer and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing Antoinette Perry, who was nicknamed Tony.

First held on April 6 1947, the awards show currently boasts 26 categories and several special awards. Both musicals and plays are recognised by the Tonys.

When does the ceremony begin?

Viewers in the UK are set for a late night in order to catch the 72nd Tony awards. The show is being aired on the US TV network CBS from 1am British time.

Slightly earlier though is the red carpet for the event which gets under way on the Tony Awards’ official website from 10.30pm in the UK.

Who has been nominated?

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, Parts one and two, is up for 10 Tonys (Yui Mok/PA)

Leading the nominations for this year’s awards are the musicals Mean Girls and SpongeBob SquarePants. The stage adaptations of the Lindsay Lohan film and the Nickelodeon cartoon are both up for 12 prizes, including the coveted Best Musical.

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, Parts One and Two, featuring the characters of British author JK Rowling, is up for 10 prizes.

The play, which opened in Broadway in April after premiering in London’s West End in 2016, has been shortlisted for best play.

Film stars including Denzel Washington, Amy Schumer and Michael Cera are just some of the big names in the acting categories.

Musician Bruce Springsteen will be given a special Tony Award for his concert residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York.

Theatre fans in the UK can rest assured that at least one Brit will take home a prize from the 2018 Tonys. Cats and Evita composer Andrew Lloyd Webber will be honoured with a lifetime achievement award.

British actors dominate the category for best leading actor in a play. As well as Harry Potter star Jamie Parker, Sir Mark Rylance, Tom Hollander and British-American Andrew Garfield are all nominated alongside Washington.

Actress Glenda Jackson is also among the British nominees. She has been named in the best leading actress in a play category for Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women

Who is hosting?

Tonight’s show will be hosted by singers Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles. Bareilles is nominated for an award this year for being a songwriter for SpongeBob SquarePants.